Broken
by Fulton31
Summary: she thought no one heard what she said, but the one man she needed to hear it heard it all!


**Broken a Lyrical Story**

An Ethan and Theresa FanFic

Theresa stood over Jane's crib, singing along with the song that was playing in the cd player. She had put it on repeat because she needed to hear it, over and over again. She never thought a song could capture her total being, all of her pain. Even though it's a sad song, little Jane loved it. Maybe it wasn't the song maybe it was just that she was with her mother again and she had someone to sing her to sleep.

The words flowed beautifully out of Theresa's mouth:

_**I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away  
I keep your photograph; I know it serves me well  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain **_

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away

You've gone away, you don't feel me anymore

The worst is over now and we can breathe again  
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away  
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone

You've gone away, you don't feel me anymore

She paused at the end before it started again and gently spoke to her baby girl "Jane I miss your daddy. I know he's married to Gwen but he belongs with us. You, me, little Ethan we should be together as family right now not fighting like school children. I know I have acted immature in the past, and done things I am ashamed of some of things that have gotten me to where I am today. But thereare two things I don't regret though and they are you and your brother! My amazing and beautiful children are the one thing that i have done right," tears are starting to flow down her face as she is now gazing out the window while holding Jane's little fingers. Theresa continued to pour her heart out to her sleeping baby, unaware that there was someone staring at her and hanging on her every word.

Ethan thinks to himself of all things he wants to say to love of life, Theresa. As he's thinking and listening to her confessions to her daughter, he hearsthe song.The song of longing and of pain a song that rings true to his pain, Ethan couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was his song, no words but these could explain that which was going on in his heart like these words. It rang through his ears like church bells on Sunday morning. Over and over he heard the words. Steal your pain away, broken and lonely. He wanted to be with her and their child, but couldn't. He wanted the make all their pain go away, but didn't know how. "If Theresa only knew how much I want what she wants. I want to be with her, with our children. I know little E isn't mine technically, but blood isn't what makes a father. I just can't trust her. She is her own worst enemy, if only I could trust her and trust that she has changed. I don't know what to do; I am in love with an amazing woman who I have no future with, _if only if only."_

Theresa had stopped talking to Jane for a moment. She wanted to let the lyrics of the song sink into her brain: _'**Cause I'm broken when I'm open, And I don't feel like I am strong enough, 'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome, And I don't feel right when you're gone away.** _As she was listening to her song of sorrow and lose something sparked in her mind, something she felt for some reason unknown to her that she needed to share with her daughter.

"You know Jane something that just occurred to me, I have been caught every time I have schemed. Anytime I have plotted, known in my heart I would get what I want I have lost it. And every time I have owned up to it in the end. I may have not been honest in the beginning, but always my intentions were good, but in the end of my schemes when I was caught in the headlights, I fessed up! Every single time! Why haven't I brought that up before? If I really sent the info to the tabloids why wouldn't I have just admitted it? Why didn't I bring this up before?" She pondered this, just as the man standing next to her door does the exact same thing!

Slowly processing what she said. "Why hadn't she fessed up once she was caught? That's a really good point. Her story has never changed. _I didn't do it Ethan I swear! I knew yes, but I swear on my love for you I didn't expose you to the tabloids!_ But if Theresa didn't do it who did? That is the question isn't it. Who did it? Where did it happen? When did it happen, specific time frame here!"

She interrupted his thoughts " It doesn't matter though, maybe I should just give up. Ethan will never believe me if I tell him that I didn't do it because when caught I didn't confess. He'll think it's just another scheme to get him back. Maybe we just weren't meant to be. Maybe I should just take you and your brother and move on." Saying these words and making them real to herself, she started to cry even harder. _**You've gone away, you don't feel me anymore**_ burned into her mind!

"NO NO NO! She can't leave I would be lost without her!" Ethan's mind was racing now. He needed to get through to her! He needed to convince her that running isn't the answer! He needed to get through to her that he was broken as well, and only together could they be whole again!

She prayed silently to god to send her a sign to show her what she needed to do. She hoped it wouldn't have to be extreme, but she knew that it most likely would have to be! She prayed to god to give her the strength to move on. As she was praying she heard something against the door. It wasn't something, it was someone. He was the sign she was searching for.

With tears in his eyes as well as hers he slowly walked forward and started to make his case. "Theresa, I didn't mean to overhear but I didn't have the heart to interrupt you. I wanted to speak up sooner but my heart had jumped into my throat!"

"How long had you been listening to me?" she asked the question to him but she already knew the answer to that question. She knew he had heard everything, from the song to confessions to the wondering of whereshe went wrong! "I wonder though what are his conclusions about what I have said to my daughter?" She silently wonders.

"I have been here quite awhile, long enough to know BROKEN by heart. I have to say though I like you version better than Seether's. I heard it all. Truth be told I believe every word that you said. You didn't even know I was there and you spoke from your heart to our daughter. You looked into her eyes and showed her your soul, you also showed ME your soul. I can't thank you enough for that. It makes what I want to do that much easier," as he talks to her he is walking a b-line to her! And before he can finish the word easier he has her in an unbelievable kiss.

Her knees are weak and she can't believe what just happened. He kissed her, but what does this mean? She brakes away and asks him just that, "Ethan I love it when you kiss me. But I have to say that I get ideas about you and me when do that. I start to believe again that we have a chance. And dammit Ethan I will not let you brake me again. I have spent far too many nights waiting for you. Listing to this very song over and over and over again, as the words tear into my very soul. If you want me, then you can have me, but this is your very last chance. I can't do this anymore"

"My answer is simply this, you will never be broken again!" Pulling her into a kiss that would lead into more passion then she ever thought she could feel. They melted into each other's arms and didn't speak another word to one another the rest of the night. :)

Theresa hasn't listened to Broken Since that very night!


End file.
